2 Installing Oracle Portal, Forms, Reports and Discoverer

This chapter describes how to install and configure Oracle Portal, Forms, Reports, and Discoverer.

The following topics are covered:

• Section 2.1, "Before You Begin. "
• Section 2.2, "Install and Configure Java Access Bridge (Windows Only)"
• Section 2.3, "Installing on DHCP Hosts"
• Section 2.4, "Installing on a Non-Networked Computer"
• Section 2.5, "Installing on a Multihomed Computer"
• Section 2.6, "Installing Oracle Forms and Oracle Reports on Separate Servers"
• Section 2.7, "Installation Instructions"
• Section 2.8, "Verifying the Installation"

2.1 Before You Begin.

Make sure you have read the information in this section before you begin:

• Section 2.1.1, "System Requirements and Certification"
• Section 2.1.2, "Install Oracle Database"
• Section 2.1.3, "Create Schemas for Oracle Portal and Oracle Discoverer"
• Section 2.1.4, "Install Oracle WebLogic Server and Create the Middleware Home"
• Section 2.1.5, "Installing Oracle Internet Directory"
• Section 2.1.6, "Upgrading Oracle Web Agent (OWA) for Oracle Portal"

2.1.1 System Requirements and Certification

Before performing any installation you should read the system requirements and certification documentation to ensure that your environment meets the minimum installation requirements for the products you are installing.

The system requirements document covers information such as hardware and software requirements, minimum disk space and memory requirements, and required system libraries, packages, or patches. This document is available on Oracle Technology Network (OTN):

The certification document covers supported installation types, platforms, operating systems, databases, JDKs, and third-party products:

2.1.2 Install Oracle Database

Installation of Oracle Portal, Forms, Reports, and Discoverer requires the availability of an Oracle database. This database must be up and running, and does not have to be on the same system where you are installing the products.

For the latest information about supported databases, visit the following URL:

2.1.3 Create Schemas for Oracle Portal and Oracle Discoverer

Oracle Portal and Oracle Discoverer require that certain schemas exist in the database prior to installation. You must run Repository Creation Utility (RCU) to create the schemas in the database. Follow these instructions to do so:

Insert the RCU CD-ROM and start RCU from the bin directory: On UNIX:

rcu.bat

Note: On Windows systems, make sure that you do not unzip the RCU .zip file to a directory name containing spaces.

Oracle Portal requires the PORTLET schema. During the creation of the schemas, you may choose to de-select the PORTLET schema, at which time you will be reminded that this schema is required for Oracle Portal. If you already have a PORTLET schema created elsewhere, you may ignore this message and proceed. Select the components whose schemas you want to install.

Note: You must remember or make a note of these schema names and the prefix value from this screen; you will need them later when you are configuring your products. You will need to provide the schema name in the format prefix _ schemaname . For example, if you used the default prefix DEV , you will supply the following schema name for the Portal schema: DEV_PORTAL

Note: You must remember or make a note of password(s) you specify on this screen; you will need them later when you are configuring your products.

2.1.4 Install Oracle WebLogic Server and Create the Middleware Home

Oracle Portal, Forms, Reports, and Discoverer requires an Oracle WebLogic Server on your system. If you do not already have one, follow the instructions in this section to install Oracle WebLogic Server.

Insert the Oracle WebLogic Server CD-ROM or download the installer from the following URL:

• wls1031_linux32.bin (for 32-bit Linux systems)
• wls1031_win32.exe (for 32-bit Windows systems)
• wls1031_generic.jar (for all 64-bit platforms)

The 32-bit executable files are bundled with the appropriate JDK version. If you use the 64-bit installer, you will need to invoke the installer with a supported JDK for your platform. This JDK must be installed on your system before you install Oracle WebLogic Server. Refer to the Oracle Fusion Middleware certification document for a list of supported JDKs for your platform:

Examples on a 32-bit system: On Linux:

./wls1031_linux32.bin

wls1031_win32.exe

JAVA_HOME/bin/java -jar wls1031_generic.jar

JAVA_HOME/bin/java -d64 -jar wls1031_generic.jar

JAVA_HOME\bin\java -jar wls1031_generic.jar

Some notes for running the installer:

• Before running the installer, set the DISPLAY environment variable on your system.
• Replace JAVA_HOME with the installation location of the supported JDK you installed for your platform.
• If you are installing a 64-bit Oracle WebLogic Server on a 64-bit platform:
  • Use the -d64 flag when using 32/64-bit hybrid JDK's (such as the HP JDK for HP-UX and SUN JDK for Solaris SPARC).
  • Execute JAVA_HOME /bin/java -version (or JAVA_HOME /bin/java -d64 -version on 32/64-bit hybrid JDKs) to ensure that your JAVA_HOME refers to a 64-bit JDK.
  • Core Application Server
  • Administration Console
  • Configuration Wizard and Upgrade Framework
  • Web 2.0 HTTP Pub-Sub Server
  • WebLogic JDBC Drivers
  • Third Party JDBC Drivers
  • WebLogic Server Clients
  • WebLogic Web Server Plugins
  • UDDI and Xquery Support
  • Server Examples (not selected by default)

  If you want to perform a Custom installation, select Custom . You will see the following two screens:

  1. Choose Products and Components Screen Select the products you want to install.
  2. JDK Selection Screen Select the JDKs you want to install. It is recommended that you use the Sun SDK if you are installing in a development environment. Typically, this environment provides a more relaxed security configuration and enables you to auto-deploy applications. In a development environment, boot.properties is used for user names and passwords and polling is used for application deployment. If you are installing in a production environment, it is recommended that you use the Oracle JRockit SDK. Production environments are for applications running in their final form. Full security is enabled and applications may be clustered or use other advanced features. In this mode, user names and passwords are required and polling is not used for application deployment.

  For more information about installing and configuring WebLogic Server, refer to Oracle WebLogic Server Installation Guide .

  2.1.5 Installing Oracle Internet Directory

  Oracle Portal requires an existing Oracle Internet Directory (OID) with Oracle Single Sign-On (SSO). If you are also installing Oracle Forms, Reports, or Discoverer, you will have the option to configure these products with an OID, but it is not mandatory.

  The following OID/SSO combinations are supported:

  • Oracle Internet Directory 10 g (10.1.4.3) with Oracle Single Sign-On 10 g (10.1.4.3)
  • Oracle Internet Directory 11 g (11.1.1) with Oracle Single Sign-On 10 g (10.1.4.3)

  If you are not able to use an existing 10 g Oracle SSO server, follow this sequence of steps to add a new Oracle SSO server:

  1. Install either Oracle Internet Directory 10 g (10.1.4.3) or Oracle Internet Directory 11 g (11.1.1) on your system.
  2. Install Oracle Single Sign-On 10 g (10.1.4.3) on your system in a different Oracle Home location than your Oracle Internet Directory installation. Either during or after you install Oracle Single Sign-On, you must hook up Oracle Single Sign-On with your Oracle Internet Directory installation. For more information, see Oracle Fusion Middleware Installation Guide for Oracle Identity Management . If you installed Oracle Internet Directory 11 g (11.1.1), you can also refer to Oracle Fusion Middleware Quick Installation Guide for Oracle Identity Management .
  3. Test your Oracle Single Sign-On configuration to make sure that it is working properly.
  4. Install Oracle Portal, Forms, Reports and Discoverer 11 g Release 1 (11.1.1). During configuration, you will be able to hook up your installation with Oracle Single Sign-On.

  2.1.6 Upgrading Oracle Web Agent (OWA) for Oracle Portal

  Oracle Fusion Middleware 11 g Release 1 (11.1.1) includes a new version of the Oracle Web Agent (OWA) packages. Existing packages will be updated to the new version the first time either an Oracle Portal 11 g repository is installed or when an existing Oracle Portal repository is upgraded to 11 g . When the OWA update takes place, packages from existing Oracle Portal schemas that reside in the same database will become invalid. The OWA update ends with an attempt to revalidate all invalid packages in all Oracle Portal schemas in the existing database instance.

  2.2 Install and Configure Java Access Bridge (Windows Only)

  If you are installing on a Windows system, you have the option of installing and configuring Java Access Bridge for Section 508 Accessibility. For more information on how to do this, refer to "Install and Configure Java Access Bridge (Windows Only)" in Oracle Fusion Middleware Administrator's Guide .

  The JAWS screen reader scripts for the Oracle Forms Builder are installed in the ORACLE_HOME \forms\ScreenReader directory.

  2.3 Installing on DHCP Hosts

  If you are installing Oracle Portal, Forms, Reports and Discoverer on a DHCP host, you must follow the configuration steps in this section for your platform.

  2.3.1 For UNIX Platforms

  On UNIX systems, configure the host to resolve hostnames to the loopback IP address by modifying the /etc/hosts file to contain the following entries:

  127.0.0.1 hostname.domainname hostname 127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain localhost 

  After doing so, check that the hostname resolves to the loopback IP address by entering the following command:

  /bin/ping hostname.domainname 

  2.3.2 For Windows x86 Platforms

  On Windows systems, install a loopback adapter on the DHCP server (see Section 2.3.3, "Installing a Loopback Adapter (Windows Only)"). This assigns a local IP address to your computer.

  After installing the adapter, add a line to the %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts file with the following format, immediately after the localhost line:

  IP_address hostname.domainname hostname 

  Replace IP_address with the local IP address of the loopback adapter.

  2.3.3 Installing a Loopback Adapter (Windows Only)

  To install a loopback adapter on Windows 2003 or Windows XP:

  1. Open the Windows Control Panel. Windows 2003: Select Start > Control Panel > Add Hardware . Windows XP: Select Start > Control Panel , then double-click Add Hardware .
  2. In the "Welcome" window, click Next .
  3. In the "Is the hardware connected?" window, select Yes, I have already connected the hardware , then click Next .
  4. In the "The following hardware is already installed on your computer" window, in the list of installed hardware, select Add a new hardware device , then click Next .
  5. In the "The wizard can help you install other hardware" window, select Install the hardware that I manually select from a list , then click Next .
  6. In the "From the list of hardware types, select the type of hardware you are installing" window, select Network adapters , then click Next .
  7. In the "Select Network Adapter" window, make the following selections:
     • Manufacturer: Microsoft
     • Network Adapter: Microsoft Loopback Adapter
  8. Click Next .
  9. In the "The wizard is ready to install your hardware" window, click Next .
  10. In the "Completing the Add Hardware Wizard" window, click Finish .
  11. If you are using Windows 2003, restart your computer.
  12. Right-click My Network Places on the desktop and choose Properties . This displays the Network Connections Control Panel.
  13. Right-click the connection that was just created. This is usually named "Local Area Connection 2". Choose Properties .
  14. On the "General" tab, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) , then click Properties .
  15. In the "Properties" dialog box, click Use the following IP address and do the following:
      1. IP Address: Enter a non-routable IP for the loopback adapter. Oracle recommends the following non-routable addresses:

      192.168.x.x (x is any value between 1 and 255) 10.10.10.10

      2.3.4 Removing a Loopback Adapter (Windows Only)

      To remove a loopback adapter on Windows 2003 or Windows XP:

      1. Start the System Control panel. Windows 2003: Select Start > Control Panel > System . Windows XP: Select Start > Control Panel , then double-click System .
      2. In the "Hardware" tab, click Device Manager .
      3. In the "Device Manager" window, expand Network adapters . You should see Microsoft Loopback Adapter .
      4. Right-click Microsoft Loopback Adapter and select Uninstall .
      5. Click OK .

      2.4 Installing on a Non-Networked Computer

      You can install Oracle Portal, Forms, Reports and Discoverer on a non-networked computer, such as a laptop. Because a non-networked computer has no access to other computers, you have to install all the components that you need on the computer.

      In addition, you must follow the instructions in Section 2.3, "Installing on DHCP Hosts" to install a loopback adapter and modify the hosts file on your system.

      2.5 Installing on a Multihomed Computer

      You can install Oracle Portal, Forms, Reports and Discoverer on a multihomed computer. A multihomed computer is associated with multiple IP addresses. This is typically achieved by having multiple network cards on the computer. Each IP address is associated with a host name; additionally, you can set up aliases for each hostname.

      The installer picks up the fully qualified domain name from the first entry in /etc/hosts (on UNIX) or %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts (on Windows) file.

      For details about WebLogic Server network configuration, refer to "Configure network connections" in Oracle Fusion Middleware Oracle WebLogic Server Administration Console Help .

      For specific network configuration of a system component, refer to the individual component's configuration documentation.

      2.6 Installing Oracle Forms and Oracle Reports on Separate Servers

      If you choose to install Oracle Forms and Oracle Reports on different servers, you must perform some manual configuration in order for these two products to be able to communicate properly with each other.

      The instructions for doing so are available in section 17.8.1, "Communication Between Reports and Forms When Installed on Different Instances" in Oracle Fusion Middleware Publishing Reports to the Web with Oracle Reports Services .

      2.7 Installation Instructions

      This section contains information and instructions for installing Oracle Portal, Forms, Reports and Discoverer. The following topics are covered:

      • Section 2.7.1, "Installation Types"
      • Section 2.7.2, "Installation Log Files"
      • Section 2.7.3, "Starting the Installer"
      • Section 2.7.4, "Inventory Screens (UNIX Only)"
      • Section 2.7.5, "Installation Instructions for "Install and Configure" Install Type"
      • Section 2.7.6, "Installation Instructions for "Install Only" Install Type"
      • Section 2.7.7, "Manual Configuration for Oracle Discoverer (Windows Only)"

      2.7.1 Installation Types

      The Oracle Portal, Forms, Reports and Discoverer installer provides two installation options:

      • Installation Instructions for "Install and Configure" Install Type
      • Installation Instructions for "Install Only" Install Type

      The Install and Configure option installs the product binaries in an Oracle Home directory and creates and configures a working instance in an Oracle Instance directory. After this is complete, you should be able to access the Welcome Page to begin configuring and managing your products.

      The Install Software - Do Not Configure option only installs the software binaries in an Oracle Home directory. You must then manually run the Configuration Tool from your ORACLE_HOME /bin (for UNIX) or ORACLE_HOME \bin (for Windows) directory to configure your products before you can use them. This option can be used to quickly create multiple instances of the software that share a common disk.

      If you choose this installation type on Windows, there are manual configuration steps required for Oracle Discoverer. For more information, see Section 2.7.7, "Manual Configuration for Oracle Discoverer (Windows Only)".

      2.7.2 Installation Log Files

      The installer writes logs files to the Oracle_Inventory_Location /log (for UNIX) or Oracle_Inventory_Location \logs (for Windows) directory. On UNIX systems, if you do not know the location of your Oracle Inventory directory, you can find it in the oraInst.loc file in the following directories (default locations):

      • Linux: /etc/oraInst.loc
      • HP-UX and Solaris: /var/opt/oracle/oraInst.loc

      On Windows systems, the default location for the inventory directory is C:\Program Files\Oracle\Inventory\logs .

      The following install log files are written to the log directory:

      • install date-time-stamp .log
      • install date-time-stamp .out
      • installActions date-time-stamp .log
      • installProfile date-time-stamp .log
      • oraInstall date-time-stamp .err
      • oraInstall date-time-stamp .log

      2.7.3 Starting the Installer

      To start the installer, insert the CD-ROM and run the following command:

      ./runInstaller

      setup.exe

      2.7.4 Inventory Screens (UNIX Only)

      If you are installing on a UNIX system, and if this is the first time any Oracle product is being installed on your system with the Oracle Universal Installer, you will be asked to provide the location of an inventory directory. This is where the installer will set up subdirectories and maintain inventory data for each Oracle product that is installed on this system.

      Follow the instructions in Table 2-2 to configure the inventory directory information. For more help, click on the screen name in the table below, or click the Help button in the GUI.

      Table 2-2 Inventory Directory and Group Screens

      Specify the Oracle inventory directory and group permissions for that directory. The group must have write permissions to the Oracle inventory directory.

      Click OK to continue.

      Run the createCentralInventory.sh script as root .

      Click OK to continue.

      2.7.5 Installation Instructions for "Install and Configure" Install Type

      Follow the instructions in Table 2-3 to install and configure Oracle Portal, Forms, Reports and Discoverer.

      Running the installer as root user is not supported.

      If you need additional help with any of the installation screens, refer to Appendix A, "Oracle Portal, Forms, Reports and Discoverer Installation Screens" or click Help to access the online help.

      Table 2-3 Installation Flow